The Storm
by Lady-Valiant
Summary: Even heroes can become discouraged, or so discovers Malon when she offers a strangely familiar traveler shelter from a sudden storm.


**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own LoZ. I also don't normally read disclaimers, so I'm going to assume you don't, either…but anyway….**

Thunder roared from the darkened clouds above, and Malon watched the lightning dance across the sky from the loft of the barn. It was beautiful—mesmerizing, even. Yes, she decided. Mesmerizing was the perfect word to describe the lightning. Oddly enough, it calmed her—the sound of the lightning and the rain. Despite the strength of the very sudden storm and the leaks in the roof under which she stayed, it calmed her. Then, in the distance, she saw a figure.

Malon squinted her eyes as she peered into the night. A flash of lightning lit up the sky and confirmed her suspicions. There was a person outside, traveling through the worst storm she'd seen in a very long time. The young woman bit her lip, weighing her options for a moment. She considered offering the person shelter, but if Ingo discovered she had, he'd most certainly be angry. He seemed to hate everything of the late.

Still…it wouldn't be right. Her mother wouldn't have left some poor traveler out in the middle of Hyrule Field, where there was no shelter. Malon's mother had died when she was very young, but the young woman knew that she would've _never _let someone walk through that storm.

After climbing down from the loft, Malon donned her scarlet cloak and pushed open the heavy doors of the stable. The horses remained oddly calm, even as the wind and rain rushed inside the stable. It took her a moment to locate the figure again, and when she saw him she ran. "Wait!" she screamed, but her voice seemed to slam right back into her throat.

Whether he heard her or saw her, Malon didn't know, but he stopped regardless and stood stock-still in the storm. As she approached him, Malon unwittingly slowed her pace. He was…much younger than she thought he'd be—a warrior, too, from the look of him. A flash of lightning lit the field, and she caught sight of startling blue eyes and hair that might've been blonde or brown; it was too wet to really know. His clothes were drenched, also, looking black, although Malon instinctively knew that he wore another color…she just wasn't sure what. There was something so familiar about him.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, pulling Malon from her musings.

He had a nice voice—very friendly with a slight lilt to his words. Immediately, Malon grasped on of his hands and tugged him behind her. "Come on! I can give you shelter! You shouldn't be walking around in this mess!"

He pulled back slightly. "I don't…I don't know if that's such a good idea."

His tone was thick with emotions that Malon couldn't identify, but…honestly, would she take refuge with a complete stranger? Maybe that was the problem. "My name is Malon," she said. "I work at Lon Lon Ranch. It's safe; I promise."

Did she imagine the flash of recognition in his eyes? Still he shook his head, his sodden hat clinging to the side of his neck. "Fine," she said. "If you don't come with me, I'm going to stand here with you all night."

Malon wasn't quite sure why she said it, but for a short moment, his eyes widened, so she kept talking. "Yes, I'll stand here _all night_, freezing, dripping wet, and probably get sick…"

Actually, she was already soaked with rain, but it really wasn't all that cold. It was quite warm, and the air felt charged with lightning. It tingled along her skin. She sighed dramatically, though, and grasped his other hand. He didn't pull back. "You…no, you…you can't," he stuttered. "You wouldn't."

"Yes, I'm going to stay out here _all night long_."

"Malon, really…you don't understand. I _can't_," he whispered, his voice and words oddly tender. "You…please, go back inside."

"Yes, you can. Please. I can't with a clear conscience let you stay out in this mess," she said.

Finally, he sighed, bowed his head slightly, and nodded. Malon took it as a sign of surrender and pulled him behind her. He followed easily, and neither said a word until they were safely in the barn. The girl nudged him away from the doors, half-expecting him to bolt back into the storm. After closing the heavy doors, Malon glanced over her shoulder at him.

He'd removed his sword and shield and was gazing around him. It was still difficult to make out what he looked like in the darkness. "I'm sorry," said Malon. "I know it's not much. I would've let you stay in the house, but…even I'm not allowed in the house."

The movement of his head was the only indication that he heard her. Malon sighed as she removed her cloak and rubbed her arms. "It's fine, Malon. Thank you."

Malon smiled, feeling an odd tingling feeling, not unlike how the lightning and storm felt. "You're quite welcome."

She moved about the stable, suddenly eager to be a proper hostess (well, as proper as she could be given the circumstances). He stood and offered to help her, but she shook her head and nudged him down slightly. Malon started a fire and sat across from him, her eyes eagerly taking in the sight of her guest.

The ranch hadn't had a visitor in a long time, and the only person around was Ingo. She couldn't talk with him, and the few people that did come served Ganondorf. They weren't the company she wanted either. Most weren't even human, but monsters. He was about her age, she decided. After he removed his hat, she could see fluffy hair that was blonde—definitely not brown. He was actually quite attractive, Malon realized, fighting a blush. He'd notice if she blushed; when she blushed it looked like her whole head was on fire. Still, he didn't look at her for the longest time, but when he did, Malon couldn't help but give a little squeak of surprise. He had the most beautiful grey-blue eyes, reminding her of the storm they'd just left.

"Malon, why are you sleeping here?" he asked.

"Ah, I…you see, the man who runs this ranch…he's being controlled by Ganondorf, I think. He forbids me to stay anywhere but this barn, but I like it…I can protect the horses. They're uneasy; they can sense the darkness…"

"I'm very sorry, Malon."

"Oh, it's alright. That's just life, you know? I mean, things never go as expected. I just thank the goddess Farore for what I do have after this terrible seven years. I have much to be grateful for. I have the horses. I have a home. I have…food and water and shelter. I've become a stronger person."

"Where is your father?" he asked.

Malon thought it odd he asked only about her father, but she answered anyway, "He left. He…he didn't care about the horses or the ranch."

The woman shifted and brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin there. "Or me," she whispered.

"That's…" the boy broke off his words and looked down at his hands.

"Not true?" whispered Malon. "I don't know. So much has happened…"

"It's all my fault," he whispered, seemingly to himself.

"You?" asked Malon, her lips quirking in a slight smile. "Unless you gave that…that man who calls himself king ultimate power and wished this upon us, it's not your fault. Silly boy. No one could've stopped the king…no one can."

"But it _is _my fault!" he insisted, his blue eyes blazing. "It is! Don't you know who I am? Don't you realize what I've _done_?"

Malon was taken aback, slightly afraid of her visitor. He certainly had some…issues. "I don't deserve this," he whispered. "I don't. I don't deserve any of this."

"It's…alright. Whatever it is it's alright," whispered Malon, tentatively reaching for his shoulder.

Suddenly, he was right beside her, the back of his hand stroking her cheek. "_Malon_," he whispered, looking very much like he was about to cry. "You don't understand. You…you should hate me."

"I don't…" Malon had been going to say, _I don't even know you_, but there was something familiar. It seemed almost _cruel _to say that. She didn't know why, though. Maybe it was the pleading in his voice or the desperation in his eyes.

His hands landed on her shoulders, and he bowed his head. It sounded like he was actually _crying_. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I am. This is all my fault. If I hadn't taken that _blasted sword_…if I hadn't been so weak! If I hadn't…_everyone _who knows me gets hurt, and it's because of me! This is…"

Malon didn't think she'd ever seen someone more hurt and lost. Cautiously, she lifted a gentle hand and raised his chin up until he faced her. He _was _crying, but Malon was good with tears. Her mother had been, too. "Sweetheart," she whispered. "Whatever you've done…it's _okay_."

"No," he said hoarsely. "It isn't. I _did _let Ganondorf have that power, and then, I left for _seven years_. The princess…is most certainly dead. The king—the true king—was murdered. Hyrule is _destroyed_, and it's all because I wasn't strong enough. It _is _my fault. It's my destiny to stop him!"

"Then, what are you going to do about it?"

"Fight him…of course."

"It sounds like to me…that you need to forgive yourself," said Malon slowly. "Besides…if you're going to fight him…you clearly have a noble spirit. I believe in you."

He was quiet for a moment, no longer sobbing. Sighing, he released her shoulders and sat back slightly. "You give me praise I don't deserve."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" asked Malon.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly. "No! Of course not!"

"Do you think I'm just some common, ignorant farm girl?"

"No, I never said—"

"Then, tell me exactly what happened, and I'll make my own judgment about how I feel. I'm smart enough to decide who's a friend and who's not."

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped slightly. Oddly, he cast a glance at his hat before saying. "Okay. I'll tell you; you deserve to know."

And he did tell her.

He told her about how he saw the princess flee and how he tried to fight off Ganondrof. He told her how he fled to the temple and slumbered for seven years. He told her how he awakened and his quest to find the sages. He told her everything, and Malon believed him. After that he was very quiet. Finally, slowly, Malon made her decision. "I think…that you need a hug."

For a moment, he just gawked at her. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting that reaction. "Wh-what?"

Malon smiled mischievously. "You need a hug."

"But…but my clothes are still wet…and you're finally dry, so you shouldn't…"

"Are you _shy_?" asked Malon, smirking.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then apparently changed his mind. Malon grinned and tackled him to the ground. "Hey!" he protested. "That's not…"

Malon giggled, wrapping her arms around him. "You should've seen the look on your face!"

He rolled his eyes and then returned her smile with a smirk of his own. "Why are you smiling?" asked Malon.

He chuckled, and quicker than she could follow flopped her over on the ground. "You jerk!" she yelled.

He laughed as she made a half-hearted attempt to throw a handful of hay at him. "You throw like a girl, Malon!"

For a moment, Malon thought it odd that he could go from being sad to playful so quickly, but maybe he'd just needed to get some things off his chest. Whatever the reason, she had no desire to return him to his depressed state and played along. It would be nice to play around and just…have fun for a while, even if it was with an odd boy wearing ridiculous green clothes. Green…? "Something wrong, Malon?" he teased.

The girl grinned. "Nope. I was just thinking about how I'm going to get you back for that little comment."

"Really? And how's that?"

Malon lunged at him, and he skipped back, still grinning. A sly smile covered her face, and Malon grabbed his hat off the floor. "No fair!" he yelled, jumping towards her.

Malon smiled and stepped neatly back. "If you want it, come and get it."

He ran at her, and Malon burst out laughing as he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around. "Give that back!"

Malon shook her head as she shook with laughter. "By the goddesses, are all teenagers this loud? Some of us are trying to sleep!" complained a very feminine voice.

The girl looked up in surprise to see a small glowing fairy hovering over their heads. Fairy…? It all clicked. "Fairy-boy?" she asked, her eyes widening.

The boy's expression grew serious, and he nodded. "So you do remember."

"Of course. You spent a week here. Of course I remember you! For that little while you were my best friend. Wow…it's been so long, and you're…wow…"

He smiled wryly. "Yeah…"

Malon dropped his hat and charged at him again, wrapping him in a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…yes, fairy-boy, I'm fine! I…goddesses…I'm so embarrassed I didn't recognize you!"

She leaned back, holding his hands. "Just…wow."

"I missed you," he whispered, looking at her oddly. Like he wanted something.

Malon wanted something, too. She was…ecstatic. Her friend was back. He was going to defeat Ganondorf. He could…he could help her, too. If he was any like the child Malon remembered, his determination was unrivaled. In that single moment, he reminded her of one of the legendary heroes in the stories her mother used to tell her.

Malon leaned forward and kissed him, quickly and lightly. Then, fighting down a fierce blush and before she could lose her nerve she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "You'll save us. You can do it. I believe in you, Link."


End file.
